06/03/2026
I was just 9 when this went through but I remember details of the evening and clean up for the weeks and months to follow.
Today is the 46th anniversary of the Grand Island “Night of the Twisters” (Total: 7 tornadoes happening within the span of a few hours, including 3 anti-cyclonic that spun a different direction than normal) back on June 3, 1980.
There's a fantastic write-up with more from US National Weather Service Hastings Nebraska here: https://www.weather.gov/gid/1980GrandIslandTornadoes
Five people lost their lives as a result of these tornadoes, with around 200 people injured. Hundreds of homes and businesses were destroyed, with a total damage of nearly 300 million dollars (in 1980 $).
This "marked one of the most unique tornado events to ever impact Nebraska, if not the entire United States. It is arguably an unparalleled event in meteorological history. This tornado outbreak was the basis for a book and movie, as well as tornado and engineering research."
Photo by Rod Gartner.
